✳ CODEC HUB
H.264 / AVC compatibility across creator platforms
the dominant web and creator-platform codec; widest hardware and software playback support.
Updated
69 documented platform x container combinations. Verdicts: Recommended (16); Accepted (12); Not documented (18); Non-standard mux (18); Conditional (3); Accepted, re-encoded (2).
Per-platform coverage
- TikTok: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux, AVI - Not documented, M4V - Conditional, 3GP - Not documented, MPEG - Non-standard mux, OGV - Non-standard mux
- Instagram Reels: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Instagram Feed: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Instagram Stories: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- YouTube Shorts: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- YouTube (long-form): MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- LinkedIn: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- X (Twitter): MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Facebook Reels: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Facebook Feed: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Pinterest: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Conditional, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Snapchat: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, re-encoded, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Snapchat Spotlight: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, re-encoded, WEBM - Non-standard mux, MKV - Not documented
- Snapchat Story: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, WEBM - Non-standard mux, MKV - Not documented
- Spotify Canvas: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Conditional, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
- Threads: MP4 - Recommended, MOV - Accepted, MKV - Not documented, WEBM - Non-standard mux
Validity per container
- MP4: pair common - the default creator-platform upload pair.
- MOV: pair common - default export from iPhone / Final Cut Pro.
- MKV: pair common - H.264 inside MKV is supported by FFmpeg and most desktop players.
- WEBM: pair invalid - WebM is built for VP8/VP9/AV1; H.264 inside WebM is non-standard.
- AVI: pair unusual - technically muxable but not a normal creator target.
- M4V: pair common - Apple iTunes-style MP4 variant.
- 3GP: pair unusual - legacy mobile container.
- MPEG: pair invalid - legacy MPEG-1/2 program stream; not a normal H.264 target.
- OGV: pair invalid - Ogg container built for Theora/VP8 video; H.264 is not a normal Ogg target.